Wednesday, March 18, 2009

The Ruth Ellis Center...

Like many non-profits, The Ruth Ellis Center has taken a hit during fubar economics and is in need of assistance in order to continue providing services.

The Ruth Ellis Center honors the life and work of Ruth Ellis, an out lesbian of color born in 1899 who was a social justice advocate. Her life and work were chronicled in the fantabulous documentary, Living With Pride: Ruth C. Ellis @100.

The Ruth Ellis Center is dedicated to homeless LGBT youth and young adults. Among their services are a drop-in center, street outreach program, transitional living programs, and emergency housing shelter.

11 comments:

I cannot thank you enough for the post when so many others have remained silent. The vital work we do, with kids at Ruth Ellis , often goes under the radar so your voice is an enormous gift.I'm giving you a BIG gay bow and, my heartfelt thanks.

RUTH ELLIS WAS A GODDESS INCARNATE!She changed my life when i was 19. i saw that documentary that you refer to at the walker art center in minneapolis the year it came out. afterwards ms. ellis herself took questions from the audience via the telephone. my question was something like "you were out and proud back in the 30's and 40's, when folks were much less tolerant than they are today. I barely have the courage and strength to come out today, and this is the 90's! How on earth did you do that?"

Her answer, which i remember almost word for word: "you have to love and respect yourself, and you have to respect other people". simple as that. now i knew i had to love and respect myself, but respect all those god-damn shit-spewing homophobes out there? I had to respect them too? that was a new idea for me, and though it didn't happen overnight, over time it really did change my whole perspective on how to deal with homophobia, and not only homophobia, but also all manner of other social ills, both the ones that i'm a victim of, and the ones in which i'm a perpetrator. GODDESS BLESS THE BEAUTIFUL RUTH ELLIS, AND MAY SHE FOREVER REST IN PEACE!

I think that once the management of Laura Hughes changes and when they recruit a manager who is more involved with the day to day operations instead of going on numerous trips across the country and would take a pay cut like the previous administration that the organization could and would succeed. She has allowed talented and wonderful staff to leave due to her inability to listen to the concerns of the staff and mirco-management style and then replaced them with her friends. There is a change in order for Ruth Ellis Center in order to succeed.

It's a shame that a great organization has gone so far down hill. Not only is the Laura Hughes to blame but the real fault lies with its selfish and egotistical Board of Directors who do not have a clue what they are doing.